Harmonizing Faith and History

Jim McClain jmcclain@cogent.net
Sat, 20 Feb 1999 21:51:38 -0800 (00919597898, 3.0.32.19990220214306.00683cf4@mail.cogent.net)


I am looking for a thoughtful reponse to the following taken from Daniel P.
Fuller’s book _Easter Faith and History_ (1965, Eerdmans). Here I can pass
along little more than his conclusions, but could supply more if you have
not heard this one before and cannot locate the book.

"Somehow it must be understood how Paul, who remained completely loyal to
the basic tenets of orthodox Judaism, could nevertheless cease to glory in
the Jewish distinctives.  No motivation residing in Paul nor deriving from
his background as a Pharisee can account for his doing this in heading up
the Gentile mission, for his pride in these distinctives had been so great
that he had been as zealous to persecutor the church as the Jews were now
zealous to persecute him.  The explanation for the Gentile mission must,
therefore, derive from something apart from Paul and his background.  It
must derive from something outside the natural sphere. Paul's explanation
is that the risen Jesus appeared to him, and since no explanation from the
natural sphere is possible, and since the only proposal for an explanation
deriving from the supernatural sphere is the resurrection of Jesus,
therefore this is the explanation for the Gentile mission that is to be
accepted" (p. 219).